sara chickering did take me for a walk

on the other side of flat rock

from where the cross did burn

the other night.

sara chickering did grumble about men in their nightshirts

with their filthy wet hems

and i did laugh at her

so serious

and ask her the names for all the flowers,

all the growing plants like

ebony spleenwort and

rusty woodsia.

as we did walk through the meadow

back to sara chickering’s house

we did see flowers with more good names

like violet and saxifrage and cowslip,

and we did see birds with the most happy namings like

meadowlark

and bobolink

and savanna sparrow.

they did make a music in the shimmery air

and there were flickers and

orioles and

bluebirds turning circles.

and as i did look up to give thanks to sara chickering for all the namings,

a whippoorwill had singings

and the music did come from sara chickering’s mouth.